


Meant to Be Yours

by AmBunMustRun



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Kidnapping, OC was the first victim of Danny, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Survivor Guilt, Yandere, yandere danny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmBunMustRun/pseuds/AmBunMustRun
Summary: You never forget your first. At least, Danny certainly never did. Nor did I.To protect the people I considered my family, I promised to leave with him. What else was I supposed to do?
Relationships: Danny "Jed Olsen" Johnson | The Ghost Face/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

_ I could still feel his leather clad fingers brush against my tear stained cheeks, holding them with a tenderness that betrayed his actions. A whimper left my throat as he hooked his thumbs between my lips at the corners, pulling them forcefully up into a smile. _

_ "Smile for me, Ashton," his voice cooed adoringly, his masked face tilting to the side. "You have the cutest smile…" _

_ I couldn't get his voice out of my head. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it out of my head…! The cold steel of his knife was grounding my fading mind. "Why… me…?" _

_ Silence was my answer for a small moment before I realized that he was laughing under his breath. One hand slid from my cheek, tangling fingers through my long, brown locks before pulling harshly, drawing a pained cry from my lips. _

_ "Why you? Maybe because you caught my eye the moment I came to this little shithole town some time ago. The way you held yourself so high like you owned the world… Funny how the years have made you a pitiful, paranoid coward." He brought his face terribly close to mine and lowered his voice to an awful whisper. "From princess to the lowly slave girl. How does it feel knowing you became Cinderella in this fucked up little fairy tale?" _

_ He pulled my head up in his grip, a sickening tone following in his next words to me before he slammed my skull into the tiled floor of my kitchen. _

_ "Too bad there's no prince here to save you from your fate." _

I woke with a start as I felt the blade pierce my flesh. Cold sweat covered my body, head to toe. It took me several moments of panicked breathing and rapid fire eye movements to calm down, taking in the reality around me. It hadn't been real. It had been just a nightmare. A nightmare…

With a shuddery sigh, I pulled back my dark purple duvet, frowning deeply to myself. He was gone. Long, long gone. He didn't know that I survived - he couldn't have. Nobody knew I had lived except for the police and the doctors involved. It was kept hush hush just in case he decided to come back and finish the job. Not that it mattered - I had to live with one of the officers for a while until reports of similar murders started to happen a couple states away. They had helped me relocate, helped me with the paperwork when I had to change my legal name, and even went as far as to check on me daily via a simple phone call.

I shakily got up, feeling a familiar ache in my calves. The scars there always ached after that nightmare. Always…

My phone started to buzz on my nightstand, startling me. Grabbing it, I checked the caller ID. Unknown…?

No. I wouldn't answer it. The last time I answered an unknown number, some sweet little old lady was trying to sell me car insurance.

I declined the call.

It started to buzz again. Once more, it was an unknown number. Frowning, I decided to answer this time. No hello, just simply seeing if there was anything to be heard.

"Belle?"

A sigh of relief escaped me. "You're calling me from some unknown number, now, Chief?"

A laugh came from the other end. "Ah, sorry about that. I'm calling from my personal cell. I know we usually don't do the check up call for a few more hours, but Cindy wanted to know if you would be interested in having dinner with us and the kids tonight."

"Tonight? Oh, um…" I had to quickly check my dry erase board calendar. Did I have anything that I needed to do tonight? No doctor appointments, no therapy, no work… "Sure. But you'll have to pick me up. Since, ya know, you live on the other side of town."

"Sure thing! I'll let her know to cook for one more." He sounded so happy about my acceptance of his invitation. "I'll stop by around six or so." He then seemed to hesitate. "Belle, I wanted to ask this for a while. How… how did it feel? Being followed back then?"

"I…" I shook my head. "Like something was  _ off _ . Like I could see whatever was following me just out of the corner of my eye, but when I would look… nothing was there. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing major. Liza thought someone was following her home last night. Said it was probably one of her classmates, some boy that has a crush on her or something like that. She… kind of described it in a similar way to you. I wanted to make sure it wasn't her being paranoid."

"Did you give her mace?"

"Already taken care of. Dear old dad, here, is gonna be picking her up from school today." I heard muttering from somewhere in the background. "Ah, I gotta get goin'. I'll see you tonight, Belle!" After exchanging goodbyes, the call ended.

Liza was being stalked…? No, no, there was no way that he could be back. It was probably some kid from school like the Chief said. Just some kid who has a massive crush on her and is too scared to say anything. Those kinds of kids followed their crushes around, waiting for the right moment to confess, right?

I was definitely overthinking it.

Shaking my head, I tried to push the series of thoughts out. He wasn't back. He was gone and would never come back.

At least, I hoped.

With a quick shower and change of clothes, I found myself ready to take on the day. Even if my day didn't consist of much to do. It had mostly been a 'I need to clean before that pile of laundry in the corner gained sentience and decided to suffocate me in weeks old dirty clothing' kind of day. I nodded some to myself, rolling up my sleeves with a small smile.

Time to put on some music and get to it.

Nightmare forcefully forgotten, I started with a load of laundry, throwing as many clothes as I could into the washer and adding some detergent. Once that was started, I went to work on the dishes, washing them one by one. Just as I was finishing up, I heard my phone buzz on the counter.

Another phone call?

Drying off my hands, I went to check my phone. It wasn't a phone call, but rather, it had been a text message.

_ Making steaks and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight! I hope that's okay! - Cindy _

I smiled a little to myself.

_ That sounds delicious! I'm excited to have it! - Neighborhood Psycho _

_ You really ought to change that signature of yours, Belle! If you text someone new, they'll get the wrong impression! - Cindy _

With a snort, I, reluctantly may I add, changed my signature.

_ Is this any better? - Psychotic Belle _

_...only by a small margin, dear. - Cindy _

_ I'll see you tonight. If you can think of a better signature for me, you can share it with me then. ;) - Psychotic Belle _

With that, I pocketed my phone, going back to cleaning. It took a few hours, but my small house was soon clean as a fiddle. I didn't even realize how much time had passed until my stomach started to growl rather violently. A glance at the time made my face flush some with embarrassment. It was well past noon.

Whoops.

Maybe a shower and a quick meal would do me some good now.

I couldn't help but feel like something was…  _ off _ . I had felt this before… As I undressed, I quickly checked out the window. Nothing. Hmm… Just to be on the safe side, I pulled the blinds down. The feeling faded.

Was I just feeling paranoid from before? Or was I still thinking too much on Liza's situation? I shook my head and frowned slightly. I really needed to take my mind off it.

After quickly washing up, I decided on just a small plate of chicken nuggets, sitting down in the living room and putting on a nice movie. It was nice, just being able to relax.

But after a while, I had that feeling again. That feeling of being  _ watched _ .

Shoulders tense, I glanced at every single window I could see without turning my head. Nothing. Nobody there. Once was enough to make me think I was just being paranoid. Twice now, though? I couldn't help but feel jittery. I checked the time. It was only four o'clock.

Would Jackson mind getting me sooner? I quickly messaged him, using some excuse that I wanted to help make dinner and chit chat with the kids for a bit. He didn't respond immediately, but after a few minutes, he finally answered.

_ I'm already outside. Liza beat you to the punch about wanting to get you early. - CoP _

_ I'll be down in a few minutes, then! - Psychotic Belle _

_ Nice signature! - CoP _

_ You think so? Cindy thinks it needs a change lol - Psychotic Belle _

Quickly, I turned off the television and grabbed my backpack, slinging it over my back as I slipped my shoes on. I left in a hurry, closing and locking the door behind me. I walked down my driveway and smiled slightly at the sight of the police cruiser in front of me. Liza and Mary, the Chief's two daughters, were sitting in the back seat, waving at me with grins on their faces.

"Aunt Belle!" Mary chirped happily as I slid into the cruiser. "We haven't seen you in like… forever!"

"We just saw her last week," Liza snorted.

"Exactly! Forever!"

I laughed softly. Liza, ever the older sister at the age of nineteen, rolled her eyes at her seventeen year old sibling. "It's only been a week. Not even."

Mary huffed, crossing her arms and pursing her lips. "Well, it  _ felt _ like an eternity."

"Alright, alright, settle down," Chief Jackson laughed. While the girls chit chatted in the back, he flashed me a smile. "I hope you don't mind, but the girls were really eager to see you again. Especially Mary."

"It's alright. I had wanted to see if you could get me early, anyways," I replied, giving him a small smile of my own.

The rest of the drive had been fairly quiet, the girls talking amongst themselves about boys and school and even some of the girls in their classes. How the Chief had yet to catch on that Liza was  _ super _ into girls, I will  _ never _ know. Once we arrived at their small home, I got out, pulling my backpack back on and following them up to the door.

"We're home!" Chief Jackson called out as he entered the house, me and the girls following close behind.

"In the kitchen!" Cindy called back. The girls ran ahead, kicking off their shoes and laughing. The Chief had a fond look on his face at the sight.

"They really are your kids," I teased him gently as I toed off my own shoes.

"Yeah, well, they're excited," he mused. He then grinned at me and grabbed my arm. "Come on."

Raising a brow, I dutifully followed. Once inside the kitchen, my eyes went wide.

"Surprise!" they all cheered.

Standing all around the kitchen island, Cindy and the girls were grinning from ear to ear, gesturing to a large, white cake with 'Happy Birthday, Belle!' written on top in pink icing. There were candles all around the letters, twenty eight in total, all alight with flickering flames. On the wall behind them was a handwritten banner, saying the same thing as the cake in elegant, pink writing. Definitely Mary's, too, I noticed.

Tears filled my eyes. How did I not remember that today? It was no wonder I had nothing planned. For the past seven years, I hadn't really celebrated it - it hadn't been my real birthday. But I would always do the same thing; I would take the day all to myself and spoil myself from dawn until dusk. So actually celebrating it…

"Guuu _ uuuuuys _ !" I whined, laughing and wiping my tear filled eyes. "You shouldn't have!"

"We wanted to," Cindy smiled. She pulled me close and hugged me tight. "For the longest time, we haven't seen you actually do anything for your birthday."

I glanced at Chief Jackson with an amused look. He looked a bit sheepish, a faint dusting of pink coming over his cheeks. He knew the reasoning, knew the truth. He had been the biggest help for me after that mess.

"Cindy wouldn't hear anything of it," the man told me simply.

I gave him a hug too.

"It's okay. I… I'm glad you guys did this," I admitted. "I haven't had a proper birthday in a very long time."

His arms wrapped around me and held me for a brief moment before letting me go.

"Now, blow out your candles, birthday girl!"

The rest of the evening was eventful. Cake was served, dinner was had - I know, desert before actual food! Scandalous! - and I was given presents. One from each of them. The girls both gave me something small, a necklace and bracelet that happened to compliment one another. They looked embarrassed at the fact since they hadn't actually coordinated too much on it.

They couldn't get me to take them off.

Cindy gave me a new shirt, one that was reminiscent of my old life. Something simple and cute, pink with black sleeves and a big, blue, geometric designed butterfly on the front. It was a little big on me when I tried it on, but it was incredibly soft. I swore I would never take it off.

Jokingly, of course.

The Chief was the last one to give me a present.

He gave me a large bag, then. "I, uh… hope you like what's inside. It's a bit more personal, I think…"

Raising a brow, I opened the bag, moving the tissue paper aside. My heart stopped for just a brief moment, my eyes wide and tears forming anew. Old sketchbooks… notebooks… Even one of my favorite plush animals was in there. I hugged the bag tight and fought back the tears. "Th-thank you…"

"What is it?" Mary asked, excited to know what else I got.

Liza grabbed her shoulder, shaking her head. "Dad said it was personal," she told her. "So… don't worry about it."

The Chief patted my back some, smiling a little. "Why don't you stay the night? Take everything in, just relax… okay?"

I nodded, wiping at my eyes furiously. He helped me gather my things before leading the way to the guest room. He bade me good night before hugging me one more time. Once alone, I closed the door, smiling weakly to myself.

It was more than I could have ever asked for.

Bag in hand, I sat down on the bed. I fished out book after book until there was nothing left. Each book was worn and tattered from years of use. As I sat back with them in my lap, I went through each and every one of them. All of them, page by page, until I started to doze off hours later.

Then I heard it.

Liza was screaming.

I threw my blanket to the side, immediately running from the guest room. Her cries were coming from the living room. My feet carried me the entire way.

Only to freeze.

Every part of me was paralyzed. That stark white mask that had haunted my dreams for years…

It was staring back at me.

Liza was tied up, all of them were, but she had been the only one without duct tape over her mouth. She was crying, thrashing in her binds. When her eyes landed on me, she cried out, "Belle! Run!"

Even though her words rang in my ears… I couldn't move. I just  _ stood there _ , trembling, tears in my eyes as the mask slowly tilted to the side. Stepping around Liza's tied up body, that horrible mask came closer to me.

Those familiar leather clad hands brushed against my cheek. Even with him touching me…

"You lived."

I couldn't stop the choked sob that left my throat as I finally managed to stumble back. His hand immediately grabbed hold of my hair, pulling me back roughly against him, his other hand pulling me close at the small of my back.

"How did you live?"

"Let her go! Please!" Liza cried.

Ignoring her, the man continued to look me over, using his grip on my hair to change my head's position. He was gripping tighter and tighter before he violently threw me to the ground. All the air was knocked out of my lungs, my back aching terribly from the sudden abuse. He straddled my waist and pinned my wrists above my head.

" _ Answer me _ !"

"L-let them go," I stammered out finally. "P-please… just… let them go. I'll answer whatever questions you have, just… please…"

The anger in his voice was suddenly replaced with a taunting, playful tone as he fiddled with his knife idly in his free hand. "Oh, no, no, no~! I told you before,  _ Cinderella _ ! That isn't how we play this game!" The anger returned full force as his knife was suddenly embedded in my right forearm, nested right between my bones. I screamed from the pain that shot up and down the entirety of my arm. " _ Now, answer or they all die, one by one _ ."

Liza kept crying out, telling me to call his bluff. Except I knew better. I had played his games before.

"T-take me. Take me and  _ leave _ . Please. I-I'll do anything, just leave them alone."

"What did I just-?"

"I promise! I'll be good and tell you everything! Just spare them!"

The male paused before tilting his head some. He was thinking about it. That was at least something. Hope blossomed in my chest as he pulled his blade from my arm, sheathing it. "Fine. But…" He roughly pulled me up and made me face them all. "Any of you mention her to the media or anything like that, she dies. As do you. Do  _ not _ try to follow us." He cackled then. "Not like you would get too far."

"Aunt Belle-!" Liza cried, staring at me in horror.

"D-don't worry about me, Liza!" I told her hurriedly as the man started to drag me away from them. I felt something press against my mouth then. There was something… sweet to the scent… of it…

Everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

The world wouldn't stop spinning as I slowly came to. Where…? Memories of what had happened the night before slammed back to the forefront of my mind with a painful throb, drawing a groan from my dry lips. Something cold  and sharp pressed against the underside of my chin, tilting my head up.

"Oh, good! You're awake," the man's voice cooed softly yet excitedly.  Was it his blade that he was using to tilt my head up…? It had to be. "I was wondering how long it was going to take."

"Fuck you," I grumbled under my breath as my head pulsated in pain.

He tsked at me as he pulled his knife away, rattling  _ something _ off to the side. I weakly opened my eyes to see what it was,  the noise rather grating on my already tense nerves . A bottle of ibuprofen was in his hand. "Watch your tongue, Cinderella. Or no painkillers for you." He seemed to wait for a moment before nodding approvingly at my silence and popping open the bottle. "Open wide."

I was about to retort that I could take the pills myself, but a shifting of my body made me painfully aware of the handcuffs that kept my hands bound to the headboard above me.  That, and one arm was definitely in pain. Why…? Oh. Right. He had stabbed it the night prior. I glanced up. At least he had the decency to treat it and wrap it up. Groaning, I unwillingly obeyed, glaring blearily  back down at the man. He pushed two pills into my mouth, holding my tongue in place with the pad of his leather clad thumb before pouring some water inside from a red solo cup. He forced my mouth shut and soothingly rubbed my throat, coaxing me to swallow. I did.

"So,  _ Belle _ , was it?" he mused softly as he withdrew his hands from me. "Funny, I seem to recall your name being  _ Ashton _ ."

It was hard to resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Yeah, well… I recall some masked  _ freak _ coming into my house and nearly killing me," I grumbled bitterly under my breath. It probably wasn't smart to try and be sassy with a man who was fully capable of killing me, but my head was in agony and I wasn't in the mood for his antics. "After you tried to kill me," I said a little louder, hoping he didn't hear my muttered remark, "I was forced to change my name, move, and change jobs. All for my own safety. They wrote that I had died so you wouldn't come back to finish what you started…"

The man hummed, stroking the chin of his white mask some before shaking his head slightly. "I thought that was the case. But that doesn't explain how you  _ survived _ . I stabbed you-."

"Right above my kidney. You nicked it, but you didn't hit it," I sighed.  I remembered having wished that he  _ had  _ hit it for the longest time. That it would end all the nightmares and paranoia. That it would end all the sleepless nights and horrid bouts of anxiety. Of course, years of therapy, medication, and just simply believing that the man would never return were all that kept me going. Seeing the ones I loved be there for me despite it all… That definitely helped in the long run. "Though it was a pretty close call either way. I had bled a lot…"

"I remember," snorted the man. "I had to ditch those clothes after that night. They were  _ soaked _ ." He then patted his attire. "But not the gloves. Made sense to switch over entirely to leather." He then stood, playing with his knife idly for a moment. "You know, I honestly thought I was going to have to torture that information out of you~."

"What would have been the point?" I asked quietly. "I'm  more than likely in the middle of nowhere, you made pretty good threats back there to the others, and I know just how far you'll go to get what you want… or at least, I have a pretty good idea of it." I idly shrugged my shoulders, the chain of the cuffs shifting with the motion. "Besides, why let myself get hurt more than necessary when I already made a promise?"

The man seemed to stare at me for a long, uncomfortable moment before crawling over my body, straddling my waist as he grabbed my chin with his free hand. "You went and got smart on me, Cinderella."

"Can you stop calling me that?" I pleaded softly  with a deep frown. I never understood why he called me that in the first place. "It's a seriously stupid nickname."

He snorted and used his hand to shake my head to and fro. "No, I don't think I will. It'll just make calling you by your name, your  _ real _ name, all the more meaningful, you know?"

The man let go of my chin then, patting my cheek before wrapping his fingers around my throat. "I haven't been in this town for  _ years _ . Here I thought I was going to come back, make my first murder anniversary special. All the other years seemed to lack something every time. I must have known somewhere in the back of my mind that you, of all people, still managed to stay alive." I could  _ hear _ the sickening grin on his face without needing to see it. "You always were stubborn over the silliest of things."

I felt myself getting light headed. Was he going to kill me now that I told him what he wanted to hear…? I tried to gasp, tried to get some air,  _ any _ air. Just as black dots scattered themselves across my vision, he let go of my throat. Inhaling deeply, the sudden rush of air filled my lungs to the point it  _ ached _ . "Wh-what…?"

"I plan on taking my time with you," he hummed. I could hear the grin in his voice. "Don't worry… I won't kill you. Not yet. Not today." With that said, he reapplied the pressure to my throat, making it ache. It was a horrible game of guess when, his choking me was. He was so  _ cruel _ , making it hard to guess as to when he would let me get air back again. Three times over, he did it, watching me struggle every single time.

The pain he was causing my throat was awful. Even when he switched from using both hands to only the one, grabbing his knife again and trailing it along my cheek. I wouldn't give him the pleasure of hearing the whimpers I was struggling to hold back. Not even when the blade pressed into the soft flesh, cutting into it and drawing hot, red blood to the surface. Not even when he lowered the blade and slapped the fresh cut. And especially not when he seemed to repeat the process along my exposed skin. Every inch was fair game. My arms, my neck, my face… He didn't care. He was too eager to cause me pain, to see me break.

Too bad for him I didn't plan on breaking that easily. I wouldn't beg for death. Not today.

The man was suddenly off of me,  then , straightening his attire and cleaning his knife of my blood. "I just remembered that I ordered pizza. It should be here any minute and I need to make myself…  _ presentable _ if you will." Back turned to me, he pulled off his mask, tossing it over his shoulder. It landed and settled against my cut up stomach. "You still like plain cheese, right?"

I sputtered slightly,  my throat aching horribly and voice hoarse as I managed out, "A-are you fucking serious?"

"No, I'm Jed~!" the man laughed as he slid out of sight. More than likely into the bathroom of… well, wherever we were. He came out after a few moments, a red mask covering his face, a black cowl covering his hair. He was wearing a simple button up with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks. "What better way to celebrate your new life than with some pizza and drinks, hmm?"

"My… my new life?" I stammered, fear beginning to trickle in place of my earlier headache. What did he mean by that?

"Well… You're the one and only survivor in my long list of victims!" Jed supplied with a delighted chirp. He clapped his hands together. "And as much as I would like to slit your throat and gut you like the fish that you are to me, I have  _ bigger _ plans for you. Much bigger. After all, one never forgets their first~."

His words only fueled my fear. Confusion was filling my mind. "Bigger plans…?"

The man lifted his hands up in a shrug, shaking his head with an exasperated sigh. "And just after I said you went got smart on me, Cinderella," he lamented dramatically. He then placed his hands on his hips. "You were  _ clearly _ meant to be mine. Only a fool would give up on such a thing. But me? I'm not a fool. So…" He pointed at the mouth of his mask and seemingly drew a smile across it with his lips. "You're going to be mine, just as you always have been,  _ Ashton _ ! Why, I've already marked you up all over as proof!"

There came a knock to the door.

"Oh, there's the pizza! Stay right here, I'll be  _ right _ back!" Before I could protest that I couldn't move anyways, he slipped out of sight again. I heard the door and… something about a room and the number that followed… Were we in a hotel? I would have thought he would have taken me to a cabin in the woods, not somewhere where someone could find me easily… I was quickly pulled from my thoughts when the door closed and Jed reappeared. He held up a single large box of pizza in one hand, the other holding a bag with a small soda inside.

"So… now, why don't we get this party started?"


	3. Chapter 3

Jed never slept.

At least, that was the conclusion I came to.

During the day, he would leave early in the morning after checking my chains, leave to go who knows where, then come back sometime in the afternoon with take out in hand. Then, after feeding me and bathing me with a moist towelette, he would simply insist on watching the cable television with me until I eventually drifted off to sleep. During the handful of times that I was still drifting in and out, Jed would check me over before getting up and leaving, turning the television down beforehand.

And not once have I seen him sleep or take off that stupid mask of his. I knew he took it off whenever I couldn't see him.

Another fork filled with rice hovered near my mouth, drawing my attention back to reality.

"Aaw, not hungry anymore?" Jed questioned with a slightly saddened tone to his voice, tilting his head to the side. "Here I thought you would be starving since I was gone all day."

I leaned forward some, taking the food into my mouth. "Sorry. Just… lost in thought," I replied after swallowing. "Besides, I'm getting used to one large meal a day only."

"If I trusted you to be a good girl and not run away, I'd let you roam the room more so you  _ could _ eat more," Jed hummed softly as he scooped up more rice. "But I don't trust you yet."

"It's been two weeks," I countered. "Have I done anything to show I can't be trusted?"

He leveled his gaze on me. Even though I couldn't see his face behind the white mask, I knew he was looking at me with amusement. Like what I just said was rather hilarious to him. Clearly the answer was obvious.

He didn't trust me at all.

"Okay, what if… um… you unchain my arms? O-only when you're here, though," I offered, hoping that if I could make him a tad lax with one idea, he would be much more willing to let me do other things further down the road.

"Why would I do that?" Jed questioned with a smile in his voice. "Then I couldn't feed you and wash you! You would insist on doing it yourself!"

I quickly shook my head. "O-oh, not at all! I would, um… I would still… still leave it up to you…" My voice couldn't help but fall quiet, small in size and weak. Would he really keep me chained up like this forever…? Or just until I completely and utterly broke in will to him?

My arms went limp by my sides all at once, a thorough ache shooting through them and resting heavy in my shoulders. My eyes widened in surprise, immediately darting up to Jed as he settled back on the bed. "What…?"

"Keep them down," the man told me immediately. "I'm going to keep feeding you. If you  _ behave _ , I'll  _ consider _ letting you have free reign of your arms whenever I'm home." Did he really consider this dinky little hotel room his home? Or… rather…  _ our _ home. He waited, watching me. When I slowly nodded in understanding, he seemed to perk up, immediately returning to his earlier task of feeding me.

Somehow, it was a bit humiliating to let him continue to feed me when I could feed myself. But I knew that if I didn't let him, I could very well have my arms chained back up. Besides, my arms ached far too much from being kept in such an uncomfortable position, and I was most definitely not so prideful that I would force him to stop.

As I finished the last of the rice, Jed set aside the empty container and clapped his gloved hands together. "Now! Is there anything you want to watch?"

Watching television meant more freedom for my arms. More rest.

"Could we turn on the game show channel?" I asked, hopeful. It was the only channel besides the food channel that didn't make me want to scream from boredom. Well, depending on what game show was on, anyways. Right around then, one of my favorite ones should have been airing.

The man seemed delighted at the idea, hurrying to grab the television remote and turning on the channel for me. He didn't even look at the channel guide. Just how many hotels had he stayed at to have the numbers memorized…? I tried to keep my heart from racing as the man snuggled up into me, one arm wrapped around my back and the other draped across my lap, his head firmly placed against my chest.

His low, rumbling laugh as one of the contestants said something foolish easily drowned out my small hum of humor. Why did his laughter raise some alarms in the back of my mind?

"Look at them! How they got this far, I'll never understand," Jed sighed dramatically once his laughter died down. "Not only do they  _ look _ stupid, but they keep giving stupid answers and losing! The host said they  _ won _ before, how are they screwing the pooch  _ this _ bad?!"

"I don't know," I admitted, watching as the one team in question failed to answer correctly once again, the loud buzzer resounding. "But the crowd loves them. They might be the type that turn around at the end and win it all. You know, make the other team think they're gonna win then pull the carpet out from under their feet."

Jed went quiet at that. Maybe I had just called out his method of picking victims? "You think so?"

"Probably. It's a sound strategy until it backfires."

Neither of us talked much after that. We simply laid there and watched the show, laughing along whenever it was appropriate. Slowly, bit by bit, I was beginning to doze off, exhaustion ebbing into my limbs and mind. The way it crept in, like everything just simply became sluggish, made me worry that the male had somehow drugged my food when I wasn't looking. It wasn't the first time I had experienced such sluggish feelings before passing out cold.

I had to ask.

"Did… did you slip… slip something…?"

"Into your food?" Jed replied softly, as if worried speaking too loudly would cancel out the drug's effects. "I did. You don't exactly sleep like a baby, princess." He shifted, sitting up and turning to look at me. "You have nightmares. That little drug? It keeps you from thrashing around and waking up~." He shifted slowly, throwing one leg over my waist and straddling me, his hand brushing against my cheek. "The hotel staff keep wanting to come in and check on you~. Sooo, with it in your system, you get a few nights where you don't make a sound~! No complaints means nobody finds you~."

So if I made noise-?

His masked face in my own immediately shut down that thought. "Don't even think about it, Cinderella. If anyone finds you, I'll go find your little protective family and kill each and every single one of them. Got it?"

I nodded slowly, my head feeling as though it were on a cheap spring. A bobblehead.

He chuckled lowly. " _ Good girl _ . Now. Say aah." The moment my mouth fell open, he shifted his mask just enough, leaning in and pressing his lips to my own. I jolted in surprise before thrashing about weakly. His tongue invading my mouth felt more disgusting than anything I had ever felt before. His hand pinching my jaw on either side forced my head in place, allowing him to ravage it as much as he desired. He assaulted my mouth for mere minutes, but it most certainly felt as though it was  _ hours _ . When he pulled away, I was panting weakly, too weak to try and spit out his saliva from my mouth. His hand pushed my mouth closed, tilting my head back. A few soothing rubs against my throat forced me to swallow.

" _ There we go _ . Makes you  _ much _ more compliant, too," Jed purred lowly. "Our first kiss~. See, it isn't  _ all _ bad. I'm a good kisser~."

"Y-you… you call that… ki…"

My world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

I could tell something was wrong with me.

The air in the hotel room felt far too stuffy. Too warm. I was sweating and my stomach was churning to and fro like a broken washing machine stuck on the spin cycle. Jed was gone, so I couldn't even ask him to turn up the air conditioning, to give me some antacids, or even ask for water. Where he went during the day, I had no idea. But seeing as to how I was still chained to the bed unless he was home…

Home.

This  _ wasn't _ my home.

I had to keep reminding myself that this hotel room was my cage. Not my home.

My home was a lovely little apartment where Jed didn't exist anywhere except within my mind. My home was a free place where I could roam without worry of upsetting someone and without chains and cuffs. My home…

My home was my family, who, for all I knew, could be dead… I didn't trust Jed to not have already taken them from the picture, after all.

I had to stop thinking. It was making my stomach feel worse.

After hours of suffering with the worst stomach lurching in all my life, fighting all the while to keep what little I had in my stomach down, Jed finally came back. I noticed another take out box was in his hand as he came into view.

The smell almost made me vomit.

"You're running a fever."

He could tell how red my face was through the mesh of the mask's eyes. I had no idea just how feverish I was until he said that.

"Were you like this all day?"

I weakly nodded, my head feeling like it was barely attached to my shoulders. I feared saying anything would make me vomit.

His sigh seemed dramatic as he set the food down. He went into the bathroom, returning with a wet cloth and the trash can. "I should have known you were sick the moment you asked me to turn the air conditioner up higher." There was no guilt in his voice. Just… a statement of fact. As Jed dabbed my forehead with the damp cloth, I sighed quietly, finding very little relief in the coolness it brought to my burning face. It was better than nothing, I supposed. When my stomach lurched again, I immediately turned to the trash can. Wordlessly, Jed lifted it so I could let it all out, the noise horrid and leaving me disgusted with myself.

"You had said something about your food not tasting right the other day, right?" Jed asked me softly, rubbing my back with his free hand. I weakly nodded before another wave went through me, expelled promptly into the container. "It's just food poisoning then."

"Why… why didn't you… g-get sick too…?" I asked quietly, my voice raspy and hoarse from puking.

"We ordered two separate meals. Mine was something that could be cooked but didn't need to be. You, on the other hand, had chicken," Jed hummed, setting the trash can back down. "Don't worry, though. I'll be home so you won't be left to suffer." As he continued, he uncuffed my hands, letting me have free reign of them again. "I'll only leave for a bit to buy some broth and ginger ale. Get your stomach to settle and all that. Maybe get some ice so we can ice you where you feel the hottest."

“Juice… N-not ginger ale…” I whimpered. My stomach lurched and I grabbed the trash can once more, trembling. It hurt so much, especially now that there was nothing in it.

“Too acidic,” Jed chastised softly. He stood and went to the fridge, grabbing some water and returning to me. “Swish this, spit it out, then drink some. Your throat will appreciate it.”

Obeying, the feel of the ice cold water washing down my throat made me feel a little bit better. I didn’t thank him, though. I would thank him when I felt better. But not right now.

His hand on my hair made me jump slightly. Stroking the short locks in what I could only assume was a… possessive, affectionate sort of way, Jed gestured to the television. “I’ll run out real quick to get everything. That game show should be on if you want to watch it while I’m gone.” When I nodded, he flicked it on and turned it to the proper channel. When he stood, I grabbed his hand. Well… more like the tips of his fingers. “Hmm?”

“Um… M-my arms…”

There was silence. But I could  _ hear _ the smile in Jed’s voice as he spoke through the mask, “You don’t have the energy to try and run away. And you can barely talk. Besides, I think I can trust you this once to not do anything stupid~.” With that, he pulled away from me, sliding out of view and leaving the hotel room.

My heart sank, joining the forming pit in my stomach.

He was right.

I couldn’t do a thing. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to at this point, anyways. I had lost a lot of strength as it was, the man barely feeding me enough to stay alive. It was usually only the take out food and that was it. The first night when he ordered pizza for us had been the most I had eaten since he had taken me.

Trying to keep myself from ruining my esophagus more than I already had, I settled back against the bed, watching the television idly. Humored little huffs left my nose in place of laughter, my body unable to handle the jostling that laughter would put it through. With some of the answers that people gave, it was seriously a wonder as to how they got as far as they did in the show. And I could tell that I wasn’t the only one thinking that - even the host of the show was baffled and amazed, not only at the answers themselves, but at the sheer confidence that the contestants would  _ give _ with those answers.

Truly, it was the best part about the whole show.

It was during one of the commercial breaks that I heard it.

The jiggling of the door handle.

Heart suddenly in my throat, my eyes widened, my gaze going from the television to the general direction of the door. Jed had set up a sort of barrier so I couldn’t see the door from my bed. The couple of times someone had seen the inside, he had said it had been his temporary work space, being a sort of freelance journalist, only passing through town. In reality, it was so nobody could see me, chained to the bed, weak, a captive… And so I couldn’t see him without his mask. He always put it on before passing the barrier, and he always had it off otherwise.

And I knew for a fact that he had a key.

And if the staff needed in, they obviously would have additional keys for each room.

So whoever was on the other side of that door was a stranger.

Fear settled deep within my chest, my eyes glued towards the direction of the door. Sparing a quick glance to my ankle, I knew the chains around my ankles likely had enough slack that I could reach the door if need be. They were long enough to reach the bathroom with ease, after all. When the door handle jiggling continued, I swallowed heavily. Jed would have rather had me stay in bed, safe where nobody would find me.

The knocking was what pushed me into motion.

Weak and exhausted, I stood, careful not to make too much noise as I slowly approached the door, walking past the barrier for the first time since becoming a captive. The chain became taut when I neared the door, but with a bit of a stretch and a lean, I was able to lean forward, peering out through the small peep hole.

My heart dropped harshly into my upset stomach.

On the other side was a police officer. I watched as he leaned into his walkie talkie, looking annoyed and tired.

Was Chief Jackson trying to locate me…? Or was this something else entirely?

It didn’t matter, though.

Slinking back as fast as I could to the bed, I searched for something. Jed must have written his number down somewhere. Maybe he had a business card or something. He claimed to be a freelance journalist, after all! A small card caught my attention, the piece discarded on the floor haphazardly. It must have fallen from his pocket at some point and he never noticed. Picking it up shakily, I quickly glanced over it.

_ Jed Olsen _

_ Freelance Writer, Photographer, Journalist _

Underneath the finely printed letters was his phone number. Grabbing the hotel phone, I started to dial the number.

Just as I was about to punch in the last number, I stopped myself.

This was my chance to run away from Jed. Why… Why was I about to throw it away?

_ “Oh my god, no! Liza, I know your standards are low when it comes to dating, but just because she looked at you doesn’t mean she’s in love with you!” Mary laughed, grinning innocently at her older sister. _

_ “You weren’t there. You don’t know what we have,” Liza huffed in embarrassment, crossing her arms across her chest and pursing her bottom lip in a pout. _

_ “Sure I do. A whole lotta nothin’!” _

_ “You-!” _

Tears filled my eyes.

That’s why.

Jed had followed each and every one of them for who knows how long. And he had already threatened death upon them should I be disobedient in any way. As long as they were holding up their own end of the deal, as well…

I punched in the last number and waited.

“ _ Jed Olsen- _ .”

“There’s someone here.”

Silence for a moment.

“ _ Cinderella, how did you-? _ ”

“Business card on the floor. Not the point,” I whispered out hurriedly. “I… I managed to take a peek to see who it was because they were jiggling the door handle and knocking… I-it’s a cop.” Immediately worried that might enrage him, I quickly stammered out, “I-I’m sure it isn’t about me in any way, m-maybe some kind of complaint from neighbors or hotel staff, I don’t know, just-.”

“ _ He wouldn’t have figured out anything, you know that, _ ” Jed sighed, exasperated. “ _ But I’m almost done at the store. I’m only a couple of minutes away. Think you can handle that, Cinderella? _ ”

It wasn’t like I exactly had a choice.

“Y-yeah… I guess…”

“ _ Good. I’ll be home soon _ .”

The line disconnected.

Sniffling to myself, I set the phone back on the receiver and tried to keep watching the show. The knocking came back after a minute, then stopped. Then started up again. Waiting for Jed to come back felt  _ excruciating _ . But, after several minutes, the knocking finally stopped altogether. Then the door opened. I shrank into myself, my thinning limbs trembling.

“I’m home,” Jed’s voice called. The crinkle of plastic bags made me relax a bit. Once I heard the door close, I whimpered.

“Wh-what… What did the cop want…?” I asked nervously, waiting for Jed to come around the barrier.

“Hotel staff complaint. They want to come and clean the room for me, but I keep telling them that I would rather they didn’t. Obviously brought up some suspicion. But the pig didn’t have a warrant to search, so I informed him that if he brought one, he could come and search all he likes. Not like he’ll find anything of satisfaction, anyways. My work is all in my camera and notebook. And those don’t leave my person. Ever. That, and there’s a loose tile in the bathroom that I can use to hide stuff. Some stoners or druggies must have made it so that they could hide their stash just in case of stuff like this.” Jed came around the corner, mask adorning his face. He tossed me a bottle of ginger ale and held up an easy to make bowl of soup - just pop it in the microwave and it was already its own little bowl. “Hope you don’t mind chicken noodle soup. Never saw you eat it before, but the broth by itself should be fine if you don’t want the chicken bits or noodles.”

“What are you going to do if he  _ does _ come back with a warrant?” I asked, ignoring the soup for the moment. “You say he won’t find anything, but… I’m not exactly easy to hide, you know.”

With a slight roll of his head to show that he was rolling his eyes hard, Jed scoffed. “You won’t be here,” he stated, as if the answer was obvious. “Chicken and noodles, or just broth?”

“...Just broth,” I answered, frowning. As he disappeared to make me soup, I tried to think of what he could possibly mean by that. When I came up with nothing, I asked, “Then where exactly will I be?”

“Out. At the store. Buy whatever you want with my card. Just don’t be here. I’ll even give you my cell so that when the pig is gone, I’ll call and let you know to make your way home.”

Shock filtered through me. Was he being serious right now? “Aren’t you worried that I’ll run away?”

“Why would I be scared?” Jed scoffed as the microwave beeped. He opened and closed it, soon rounding the barrier with broth in hand. Sitting on the bed and making it dip slightly, he had a grin to his voice as he continued, “You’re smart. You know what will happen if you disobey me like that. Now, drink up. It’ll take him at least a couple of days to come up with some excuse to search the room.” He held up a spoon with broth to my lips.

Gently taking it and swallowing it, I couldn’t stop frowning. “But… How will you know to send me out…?”

“I’ll just follow him,” Jed said simply. Right. He was a stalker by nature. He would be able to figure out when exactly things would be happening, no matter what. “Now, forget about all that mess and drink up. Please, Cinderella?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS! Of course the first thing I post for the year is THIS fjdslkfjldsk Enjoy!! Remember to drink water, take painkillers, and limit your exposure to light if you're hungover!

As my hands were uncuffed and I was pulled up from the bed, I had almost thought that Jed had wanted to bathe me since he just got home. Except the man did something… out of the ordinary. He draped his jacket around my shoulders, brushing my hair from my face gingerly. “You’re all out of shampoo and body wash,” Jed stated without much warning. He waved his wallet in front of my face before sliding it down into one of the jacket pockets. “Grab those while you’re at the store. Okay?”

“I-is something wrong?” I questioned, frowning a little bit. Then I remembered the cop from the other day, my eyes widening. “H-he got a warrant?! Doesn’t he need, like… probable cause or something…?”

"The  _ probable cause _ is related to you, Cinderella. The pig must have his suspicions on me since I'm from out of state. The timing is too on the nose, or so he thinks. An actual search regarding me would show him I've been here for months before I took you~." The way he spoke so blatantly about the situation didn't sit well in my stomach. "If you know what's best for you and your precious little family, though, you will be out at the store, keeping your pretty little head down, buying stuff we need and whatever else your heart desires. I'll handle the pig and call you when he's gone."

"Wh-what… what if he finds out somehow?" I questioned, gesturing to the cuffs on the head post and the chain at the end of the bed. They weren't exactly  _ subtle _ .

"I'll take care of it all," hummed Jed, tilting his masked face to the side. It gave him a very Chesire Cat feel that suited him rather well. "I'll do  _ whatever _ it takes to keep you  _ safe _ , Cinderella." He pulled the jacket a touch more taut over my frame before nodding approvingly to himself. He fished a face mask from one of the pockets and looped it through my ears, fixing it to sit comfortably over the bridge of my nose. He then pulled a beanie from another pocket and shoved it rather roughly over my head, hiding my hair from sight. “But first, we need to drive over there.”

I frowned ever so slightly. “But wouldn’t that mean you have to-?”

“Take off my mask? Not necessarily. You have one of two options. Either I can blindfold you until I drop you off or you can be a  _ good girl _ and keep your eyes to your lap.” His fingers gripped my chin then, forcing me to look up at him. “And if you’re anything like how I remember you, you will try so hard not to stare and then finally give in while thinking I can’t tell.”

“Like how you… remember-?” He shifted his hand from my chin over my masked mouth, forcing me to be quiet.

“Hush, now. I’m going to blindfold you and lead you to my car. Don’t worry about cameras. This  _ shithole _ hotel only has working ones near the front end near the lobby.” I swallowed and nodded. He peeled his hand away, then, turning and kneeling. He pulled out a box from under the bed and promptly pulled out an eye mask, usually meant for sleep. He pulled it around my head and hummed approvingly to himself as I was blinded. I felt his hand on my lower back and wrist as he started to guide me out. My legs were trembling, weak from barely being used. “That’s it, Cinderella. Just trust me to guide you into the car…”

It took a couple of minutes, but it wasn’t long until I was seated in the car, belt buckled securely in place. Once Jed was in the car with me, starting it up, the radio spitting out music courtesy of the local station, we settled into a semi-comfortable silence. We didn’t go far before I felt the car pull to a stop. “Alright. Time to get out. Keep your head turned and carefully,  _ carefully _ step out. Once you’re out, you can take the blindfold off,” Jed hummed beside me.

Hesitating, I unbuckled the seatbelt and took a deep breath. Sliding out from the car, I pulled off the blindfold, blinking at the sudden sunlight hitting my eyes. Squinting and pocketing the item, I looked around, trying hard to figure out where I was. I was near an empty park, it looked like. Empty park… Oh! I knew where I was! This was about a ten minute drive from my home. I would often come here to enjoy a nice relaxing walk around with the girls whenever they had time and the weather was permitting. I was about to turn and make a comment to Jed when the car suddenly pulled away, leaving me there alone. Frowning behind my mask, I looked around once more. There  _ was _ a store nearby… I just had to head there, right…?

What was I doing? I should have been running. I should have been using the cellphone Jed gave me to call the cops and warn Chief Jackson to get his family to safety. Pulling the small device from my pocket, I bit my lip. I just had to dial his number… I knew it by heart, but…

Shoving the phone back in my pocket, a shuddering breath left my throat. No. Jed likely was  _ expecting _ me to do that. And no matter what I did, he would hurt my family. I didn’t care if he hurt me anymore. I don’t think I ever really  _ did _ care. My family was more important to me than my own wellbeing, and I wasn’t going to endanger them further by trying to protect them. Not again. I may have saved them from death once, as far as I was aware, anyways, but I doubted I could do it a second time. Dragging my feet, I made my way to the store, having remembered which direction to go in.

Stepping into the small store, after ten minutes of walking, had been absolutely  _ nerve wracking _ . It felt like everyone was staring at me when I knew, in reality,  _ nobody _ was. Grabbing a cart, I took my time going through the aisles. I opened Jed’s wallet nervously and swallowed. There were more than a few twenties in there… Taking a deep breath, I ran through a mental list of anything and everything I could ever need or want.

Shampoo? In the cart. Body wash? Fuck it, there was a sale on the big bottle. Loofah? In the cart it went. New hair brush? In the cart, too. I went up and down the aisles, getting a whole variety of things. Stuff for shaving, hair dye and bleach, notebooks, sketchbooks, pens, pencils, antacids, drinks, meals, and a  _ lot _ of snacks later, I found myself growing more and more excited. Grocery shopping never really made me  _ this _ excited before! Maybe it was because it had been a while since I had left the hotel room, much less went out shopping… I paused by a few cabinets, hesitating. It was full of cologne and perfume…

One bottle stuck out to me. It was a medium sized, square in shape, with a green label and silver cap. It was a perfume, one that I knew would last in the air no matter how long Jed was gone… I swallowed. He  _ had _ been running low on the stuff… As well as the other bottle that was a little bigger and more rounded with an orange label. That one was specifically a cologne that was down a bit further in the cabinet. I glanced at the price tags. One was definitely cheaper than the other…

“Hi, are you looking to buy some perfume today?”

I jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of a worker down the aisle from me. I looked at the cabinet again before looking back at the woman, nodding. “Y-yeah,” I stammered out. “Two bottles, actually…” I pointed out the two and the woman beamed.

“Right away!” she chirped. She excused herself to go grab the key, leaving only for a moment before returning. She grabbed the two I requested before handing them to me. She offered to ring me up for everything and I agreed. With a few impulse items thrown up on the counter, I was finishing up the check out process when I heard the phone in my pocket going off. I squeaked and quickly answered it.

“H-hello?” I stammered out, fishing out the money from the wallet and handing it to the cashier.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. He didn’t want to  _ leave _ , but he’s gone now.”

I swallowed. By the sound of it, the cop had been trying hard to find evidence of me being there… and failed. “O-okay. I’ll wait for you outside. I’m just finishing up now, anyways.”

A pleased noise left the male on the other end of the line. “Good. I’ll see you in a few.” The line went dead then. I sighed as I pocketed the phone, loading the bags up into the cart. I thanked the cashier, taking my change before heading outside. As promised, Jed was there, or… at least, his car was. The trunk popped open as I got close, causing me to jump. I looked to and fro, but there was no sign of him anywhere… Nervous now, I started to load up my items into the back of the car, grabbing the bottles of cologne and perfume both and pocketing them. I wanted to give them to him personally. Why I wanted to gift my  _ kidnapper _ anything at all was an odd enough thing that I didn’t want to think about…

After putting away the cart and returning to the car, I slipped into the passenger side. Jed was still nowhere to be found. Sighing, I fished out my blindfold and pulled it on over my head. After a minute of darkness, I heard the driver’s side door open and then close.

“Good girl, Cinderella~,” Jed’s voice purred beside me. He started up the car and started to drive. “What all did you get?”

“Just… stuff. Lots of stuff,” I hummed, my hands in my pockets. I thumbed over the bottles nervously. “I hope that you don’t mind that I wiped you of cash…”

“I told you to get whatever your heart desires. Remember?” Jed hummed. “As long as I have enough for gas later, I don’t really mind.”

“Right… Right…”

I would give him the bottles later… Or just… leave them as surprises. I wasn’t sure yet.

_ Hopefully he’ll appreciate them _ .

Why did I care what he thought of my gifts?


	6. Chapter 6

I had gained more freedoms thanks to passing Jed’s little test of sorts. Since the cop had not found anything concrete that the male was involved in my disappearance, I was allowed to walk around freely - well, as long as Jed was home, otherwise, I got a slightly longer chain, I was able to cook my own meals whenever I liked… It certainly made it easier to actually eat on a regular basis. And at night, if I was up to it, we would go out on walks in the darkness, outside of the hotel, often walking in circles but I couldn’t complain about getting to stretch my legs out after being cooped up inside all the time. The fresh air always helped me clear my head, even if the company was… less than savory.

Bottles in my jacket pocket, I ran my thumbs over the plastic caps. I had been keeping the perfume and cologne a secret for the past two weeks or so now, purposefully waiting to see how much my captive had left before deciding that it was finally time to give them to him.

We had been on one of our little walks in the darkness of a starless night. Clouds had blanketed the skies, inching over the full moon bit by bit, blotting out the only source of natural light, the only form of lighting that Jed would allow on our nightly outings. It was a cool night, enough to warrant the presence of my jacket, formerly the male’s own before he told me I could keep it, a perfect hiding spot for my gifts to be. “Hey, Jed…”

“Hmm?” Jed mused, tilting his masked head to the side. He was wearing a black sweater, black skinny jeans, combat boots (also black), and gloves (you guessed it - black as well), blending into the darkness.

“I, uh… have a small surprise for you.” My feet dragged to a stop as I ducked my head some, biting my lip. I was looking at the ground a bit. “Um… I… I know you’re running low on perfume and cologne… I don’t get why you wear either one, but… I know it has something to do with…” I gestured vaguely in the direction of his mask, not quite looking at him. I slowly pull out both bottles and hold them out in front of me, letting him see them.

There was silence for a moment… then his hands took them from me, popping off the caps and lifting both to the nose of the mask, inhaling deeply. The shuddering breath he let out in response made shivers run up and down my spine, a light layer of pink dusting my cheeks. The strong, heady scent of the more expensive bottle filled my nose as I heard him spritz himself once, twice… Three times. I wasn’t sure what it was… but in that moment, he suddenly feels so much more dangerous than I ever recall him feeling. Had he worn this that night when he came and kidnapped me…?

No.

No, he didn’t.

The realization of that fact makes me whimper ever so slightly. Why did it disappoint me knowing that he hadn’t worn it that night…?

A cry left my lips as Jed was suddenly grabbing my arm, pulling me close against him. A low growl rumbled through his chest, seething between his teeth behind his drawn out, white, plastic scream. I couldn’t tear away my dark blue eyes, no matter how hard I tried, face both pale and flushed from embarrassment both.

“You know… I only wear this when I plan on finishing off my victims… They  _ smell _ the danger coming from afar… and the scent lingers so long that the cops have started to know it as a sort of twister calling card…” he growled under his breath. His voice sounded raspier somehow, deeper.

“Are… are you going to…?” I questioned fearfully.

I could hear the smirk in his voice. “No. Not tonight. But I  _ am _ going to do  _ something _ to you.”

Gloved hand covering my eyes, his lips were suddenly against mine, his grip pulling me tighter against him. A pathetic whine left my throat as I squirmed in his hold. Blood filled my mouth as he sank his teeth into my lip in warning, growls vibrating against the bruising flesh.

“ _ Quit moving _ ,” he warned.

“N-not out here,” I whimpered, swallowing the blood that had pooled under my tongue. “Someone could… c-could see us…!”  _ Was that seriously my biggest concern? Getting caught  _ **_kissing_ ** _ him? _

His laugh warmed my body in a way that I felt familiar but couldn’t place. My back suddenly met the harsh bark of a nearby tree, his lips near mine again, his breath, hot and moist, ghosting over my own. “Let them fucking see,” he breathed. He sounded  _ feral _ like this, so close, so… hungry. “You are  _ mine _ , Cinderella. And I plan on making you more than well aware of that little fact.”

I squirmed against his hold. “D-did me getting you that stuff  _ seriously _ rile you up that much…?” I questioned nervously, my voice meek and quiet.

“With it being the second gift you have ever given me…  _ Yes _ . Yes, it did~.”

The… the second gift that I ever gave him? What… This wasn’t the first time he had ever made a comment like that. Did… Did we have more of a past together that I didn’t remember…? I thought… I thought I had just been a victim of his. Had I seen him under his mask before and never realized it? Had I known him before he was my… my attempted murderer…? I couldn’t think too much more on it as his lips were back over my own. I couldn’t fight back against it this time. I started to melt against him, into the kiss, allowing myself to just… enjoy it.

Before long, he pulled away, sighing,  _ shuddering _ . “I want more of you…” he breathed lowly, tilting his masked head to the side. “But you’re not ready… Not yet.”

“What do… wh-what do you mean?” The question left my lips before I could stop myself. My face felt like it was on fire. My eyes were slowly uncovered then, the sight of his mask coming back into my vision. He had affixed it back over his face proper.

“I haven’t broken you, yet,” he teased, cupping my cheek. I subconsciously titled my head into his touch. “But you’re getting there…” He let me go, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me from the tree and starting to walk. “You’re getting there…”

He hasn’t broken me yet? What was that supposed to mean…?

As we walked, silence blanketed the air around us. The hotel soon came into view, and before long, we were walking back through the door. Once the door clicked behind us, Jed hummed. “We’re leaving tomorrow night,” he started. His gaze bore into my back as I walked to the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. As my eyes widened in shock, he continued, “I’ll be taking you to see your little…  _ family _ before do, though. They won’t be awake. Or at the very least, they shouldn’t be. You are going to write letters for each of them, got it? You can write just about anything you like, but will be reading over them to approve them before we leave them for them.”

Shock was rolling through me like waves. He… He was taking me with him? And he was going to let me write letters to them…? To Liza, Mary, Cindy, and Chief Jackson…? Tears started to burn in my eyes, threatening to spill down my cheeks.

“I… Th-thank you… I… I really thought… I really thought you were going to kill them all… Lie to me and say that they were all alive until the last moment…”

“You thought I would go back there after I kidnapped you? Just to tie up loose ends?” Jed mused, sitting beside me on the bed. He stretched and laid back, his arms resting under his head then. “But I wasn’t wearing my cologne that night, now was I?”

His words send my head spinning. He… He hadn’t been wearing it. Not that night.

“Then… why  _ were _ you there?”

“I was following  _ you _ ,” the male answered simply, waving a dismissive hand. “And they were in the way.” He must have seen the look of despair that went over my features. The glimmers of guilt in my eyes. “I was following them all and had planned on killing them within the month… But the Chief, he made the mistake of talking about you. To his colleagues. Some new rookie joined and was  _ very _ … how do I put it? Adamant about the fact the police kept such a close eye on you since my murders were getting closer and closer to town again. He didn’t understand why the others were so worried about me possibly showing up. Then dear old Jackson spilled the beans~. I was able to find out where you lived, too. I  _ had _ to make sure…”

I swore I could see a flicker of his eye behind the black mesh in his mask. Like he was plotting something. “So don’t go thinking it’s somehow  _ your _ fault that they’re my little pieces of leverage over you. Really, you saved their lives~! Little Liza will get to go to prom with Sandy Miller from her biology class in a pretty pink dress! Mary will get to finally kiss Jacob Likans from her English class! Dear old mother Cindy will get to see her children graduate high school, and big bad Chief Jackson will finally get that promotion he’s been working so hard for~! You made it aaall possible for them, Cinderella. And as long as you promise to be good for me, I’ll let you write them as much as you like. They can’t reply, of course - too risky, but they’ll be happy knowing you’re safe and sound~!” The laugh that left him made me… nervous. And sick to my stomach. While he had cleared up the guilt that I had been feeling over potentially getting the people I loved into this mess, it didn’t help at the nagging feeling eating away at me.

His hand grabs my arm, then, pulling me down before he’s suddenly over me, pinning me down despite the alarmed noise that bubbled from my throat. The scent of the cologne overwhelmed now, seemingly more  _ potent _ now. “Who knows. Maybe I can convince them to reply via the newspaper. People eat sentimental shit like that up like it’s fucking turkey on Thanksgiving. It’s disgusting and wholesome. And all the while, they won’t have any clue how  _ broken _ you’ll have become under me.”

“Why do you want to break me so bad…?”

He brushed the backs of his fingers against my cheek then, cooing, “Because Cinderella… I’ve  _ always _ wanted to be your Prince Charming. The glass slipper happened to fit, you see.”

I swallowed, narrowing my eyes into what I could only hope was a glare and not a pathetic look. “I thought there was no prince out there for me?”

A pause. Then he started to laugh, shaking his head. “Have I been haunting your dreams? Like your own personal nightmare? I didn’t want to be that arrogant prick of a narcissist - it’s unbecoming of someone of my caliber - but it feels  _ good _ hearing that~! Didn’t think you would remember that, honestly~.” He leaned down then, his breathing audible behind the mask which was mere inches from my face. “Wanna know  _ why _ there wasn’t a prince? Because  _ I _ am your prince. And I sure as Hell wasn’t going to save my victim~.”

Hand back over my face, he kissed me roughly once more, the cologne washing over every inch of my being. I felt something firm press between my thighs, tight against my clothed sex, drawing a gasp from my throat, which in turn allowed him access to my mouth. It had been his knee pressing into me, rocking against me, teasing me,  _ torturing _ me… I found it harder and harder to breathe as ripples of shock went through me, my body betraying me, heating up and growing increasingly wet down there. A part of me silently begged that he  _ couldn’t _ feel that part, that he couldn’t tell how badly he was riling me up. Tears were burning my eyes, staining the leather fabric of his gloves. Shame and humiliation joined the pleasure and embarrassment, leaving me a horrible mess.

Soon, he pulled away, surely marveling my burning face, my tears and shame. He wiped by the corner of my mouth, making me whimper. Had I been drooling too…?

“Look at you,” Jed cooed tauntingly, uncovering my eyes. “Crying from a simple kiss.” He pressed his masked forehead against my own. “So beautifully pathetic… Just like you’ve always been.” He then slowly started to sit up, withdrawing himself from the bed. He started to undress then, pulling at the bottom of his black sweater and lifting it up and over his cowl and mask.

“W-wait, y-you said-!”

“I’m not going to do anything,” hummed the male. He tossed his sweater aside, revealing his toned torso, thin and littered with peach colored scars that were faint and yet visibly noticeable. “I’m simply getting dressed in my  _ work _ clothes. After all, I can’t just let the perfume go to waste.”

Worried that he was lying, I flinched and closed my eyes tight, listening as there was more shuffling. Then Jed was walking away, slipping out from the hotel room and closing the door quietly behind him. Opening my eyes, I was somewhat relieved to see that he was gone for the night. Then panic hit me. He left me alone for the night.  _ Unchained _ . Part of me screamed that this was my chance, that I could run away. But knowing what would come of listening to that part of me, I ignored it as I ignored the burning heat between my thighs, standing from the bed and going over to the desk. I had a lot of writing to do, after all.


End file.
